Merchants and manufacturers distribute coupons that give consumers an incentive to buy their goods and services by way of a discount typically applied at the point of sale. Consumers obtain paper coupons in a variety of ways. They may cut them out of a newspaper or receive them at a Point of Service (POS) terminal when making a purchase. Sometimes paper coupons are mailed to consumers by the sponsor of the coupon or its agent. When a coupon is used a consumer with a merchant, the merchant gives the consumer a discount on a purchase of a good or service. Thereafter, the merchant seeks reimbursement for the discount from one or more sponsors of the coupon. The process undertaken by the merchant to be reimbursed can be cumbersome and fraught with latency in being repaid. Typically, the merchant, or its agent, collects all coupons received from consumers, sorts them by their respective sponsors, and then sends them in bulk to each sponsor. The sponsor then reimburses the merchant, but not until after the sponsor has inspected and verified that the submitted coupons are in compliance with terms and conditions of the coupon and its discount.
It would be an advantage in the relevant arts to provide a coupon, and process for its use, that is likely to make the reimbursement process more efficient for the merchant, for the sponsor of the coupon, and for the consumer.